Alstom and NTL's Electric Mobility Solution Aptis in Test Operation in Germany

Alstom and its subsidiary NTL are sending Aptis, a new experience of mobility, on a roadshow in Germany. Aptis will be tested together with Hamburger Hochbahn AG (HOCHBAHN) for two weeks in Hamburg. Thereafter, Aptis will be tested by Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG). Finally, Alstom and NTL will present Aptis at the trade show Elekbu from 5 to 6 March in the Estrel Congress Centre in Berlin. 

“Aptis is a new mobility solution and we are delighted by the interest of German cities to enhance the mobility of the future in Germany by testing our environmentally friendly solution. Aptis has received positive feedback by every city where it has been experimented in particular thanks to its low noise levels as well as its high manoeuvrability “says Dr. Jörg Nikutta, Managing Director Germany & Austria at Alstom.  

Aptis, which has been co-developed by Alstom and NTL, won the Innovation Prize at the global bus exhibition Busworld on 19 October 2017, held in Courtrai, Belgium. The prototypes, which were manufactured at NTL’s production site in Duppigheim, France, are currently tested in different cities in Europe.  

The tests in the customers’ depots as well as those under real operating conditions are designed to evaluate the specific characteristics of Aptis in a new urban setting, its charging system, its autonomy, and its insertion performance in traffic following the first successful tests in Ile-de-France (Paris and Versailles), Lyon, Strasbourg, Marseille and Belgium. 

Aptis provides a unique comfort experience for passengers: low floors throughout the vehicle and wide double doors allow smooth passenger flows and easy access for wheelchairs as well as pushchairs. Panoramic windows at the front, the rear and all-along the bus provide 20% more window surfaces than a conventional bus, as well as a lounge area at the rear. 

The vehicle fits perfectly into the urban environment thanks to its two steerable axles that minimise the space needed to turn (-25% compared to a conventional bus). This performance is an advantage especially at bus stops, where an automatic parking system has been developed, as it reduces the space required for parking and helps to gain extra space for other vehicles. At night, Aptis can be recharged inside the depot. Alstom also provides a daytime charging solution at the end of each line. Rapid charging is carried out either via an inverted pantograph or via SRS, Alstom's innovative ground-based static charging system. Thanks to reduced maintenance and operating costs, and a longer service life than that of a bus, the cost of ownership of Aptis is equivalent to that of today's diesel buses.